Journey For Serenity
by Roland Farqueson
Summary: Sequel to Finding Serenity, Ben becomes the unlikley leader of the group left over from Serenity but can he handle it when he has to handle the military interrigation? Warren and Tractor take Warlord to get revenge on the military can they pull it off?
1. From The Ashes

**Journey For Serenity**

**Chapter 1: From The Ashes**

Ben lay on the bed of the boat it rocked back and forth in a constant motion. He'd felt seasick for a while. Or it could've been the huge amounts of pain from his hip. Nothing could really num the pain coming from it apart from the pouches of morphine that Neil had put onto it.

Neil was currently boiling a kettle for some hot water.

They'd been at sea for around a day now, Neil had become used to the rocking sensation. As he tried to make the tea, he couldn't really go below deck for too long though, as it was only two of them and he needed to keep and eye on where they were going.

"So Africa eh?" Neil asked from his place by the stove. Ben had told him what had happened before the outbreak and how he'd been forced to come home leaving his fiancé behind him and that small village.

Ben grunted an acknowledgment of what Neil had just said.

"Well I would never have thought you had some girl waiting for you somewhere." Neil said, not really believing that it could be possible that this girl had survived.

Ben smiled at that, he'd never really shown any interest in the women at Serenity so he would have thought that it was obvious that he had some one somewhere. Unless they thought he wasn't into women?

Neil grabbed the boiled kettle and poured the warm water into a washing up bowl that had a cloth in it.

He picked up the bowl and moved towards his friend taking account of the rocking motion of their vessel.

He laid the bowl down next to the bed then helped Ben lean forward and take of his jacket and bandoleers. He then helped him lift of his shirt really slowly.

The bandages were wrapped around Ben quite tightly.

"You think we can lose this one now?" Neil asked pointing at the bandage wrapped around his torso because of the stomach wound he received around a week ago.

"Might as well." Ben replied.

Neil unwound the bandages to reveal the wound that had now healed over with quite a nasty scar showing itself. One that was probably still very tender to touch.

"Looks like it's healed nicely." Neil said.

Ben groaned and agreement.

"I'm going to take off the bandages I put on last night, it might hurt a bit okay?" Neil asked sympathetically

Ben looked down at him and then nodded.

Neil unwrapped the bandages that were round the fresh wound. Ben flinched from the pain as his was done. When Neil eventually got them off it revealed a wound that looked quite bad, then again it needed cleaning and that was what he was about to do.

Neil dipped his hands into the warm water and pulled out a cloth that was damp with the sterilised water.

He began to clean the wound.

"I never got chance to say before…but I'm sorry Ben I didn't believe about Sam straight away." Neil apologised

"Ah…it's-okay-didn't believe it-myself at-…first" Ben grunted from the pain

Neil laughed, "Well that little rat got his just deserve."

The two then didn't talk and Neil cleaned the wound extremely well considering their present conditions.

He began to re-bandage it as the boat continued to rock back and forth.

"So Africa then?" Neil asked.

"Yes……I have to know" Ben replied, gasping from the pain.

"I understand, to Africa then…that'll take a while" Neil replied.

"Thank You…Neil" Ben then fell asleep.

X

Warlord crashed through the trees flying into the air over the hill. It crashed down with a terrific roar. The tank was going all out still from the night before.

They'd lost the undead hours ago.

Warren pulled the helmet of his head, letting his neck length hair fall out. He was dirty and grimy and obviously very tired.

Tractor was keeping look out of the top of the tank, encase they saw any more undead coming at them. Or even the military.

"Where are we going?" Tractor shouted over the roar of the engine.

"Somewhere semi safe" Warren replied. "Any undead around?" he asked

"Nope we're long shot of them" Tractor replied.

Warren then pulled the large tank to a stop and switched of the engine for a while.

Tractor climbed out onto the exterior of Warlord and sat down for a while, Warren also climbed out but jumped down into the field they were residing in. He needed to stretch his legs for a while.

"What are we going to do?" Tractor asked, knowing what he wanted to do but unsure of Warren's feelings they hadn't spoken much since they'd escaped the massacre.

"I should've thought that was obvious." Warren glanced up a frown on his face.

Tractor looked at his long time friend and grinned manically. "Revenge?" he asked.

"Nothing less" Warren smiled back. "Our friends need saving, plus as well we need to save the others from being tested on. I'm not sitting idly by while everyone we knew becomes test subjects for those sadistic bastards."

"I like your thinking Warren" Tractor replied.

Warren leapt up onto the tank.

"I think we should find the military strong hold and find a place to store Warlord then we can come up with a plan." Warren then suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Tractor agreed.

"Well I need the toilet so I'm going to go in those bushes over there then I think we should carry on." Warren said hoping back off the tank.


	2. Others

Chapter 2: Others 

A few hours later they had managed to locate the main base of the military. Warren and Tractor had found a small cave that was cut into a large rocky outcrop in a forest just to the north of the base. It wasn't too far from where Squirrel's scavengers had been ambushed.

_They had decided to scout the area and had come across where the scavengers had been killed. They now stood in the clearing with decaying bodies all around them._

"Bastards!" Warren exclaimed his anger renewing at the sight of his dead friends.

Tractor looked over the bodies gazing over people he once knew. After a few moments of standing in the clearing he decided to speak up.

"Some of them are still alive somewhere." Tractor said, "Perhaps they were captured?" he suggested hopefully.

"No…" Warren sighed, he knew the scavengers too well, after all it was he who fixed all their bikes and kept their machines running. "They wouldn't lower themselves to that they'd fight till the end or run."

Tractor new his friend's words were right they were alone out here in the forest. The only other people around were those at the base, or working in their fields.

Although out of sight from the pair, three sets of eyes watched them. These eyes didn't belong to the military soldiers, or those enslaved by them. Nor the undead. It was three survivors of the scavengers.

X

"What are they talking about?" Gill asked through a hushed mouth, his strong Irish accent apparent in his voice showing were he originated from.

He was dressed quite well considering all three of them had been living in the wilderness in for the past few days, almost a week. He wore some black combat trousers with some combat boots. He wore a black flack jacket that the markings, if they were still there as Gill had ripped them off a long time ago, would've showed that he was a police officer. He clasped a Winchester rifle in his hands as they lay down on the dry forest floor viewing the two men at the place, which had been their old camp; they'd only headed over here as they'd heard the sound of mobile armour

"Never mind that who the hell are they?" Whisper asked. She was a slender woman, with blond hair tied back into a ponytail; she was dressed in a mix matching uniform that she had from Serenity. A large combat vest, with elbow pads on and she retailed he driving goggles around her neck. Then she wore some plain baggy combat trousers with boots for driving. She had a grenade gun slung over he shoulder and she clasped some binoculars and a berretta in her hands.

"Are they…gimmie the scopes" Rayne asked as she grabbed the binoculars off Whisper.

She was similar to Whisper in her figure, but her raspy voice and her black shortish hair showed her to look completely different. She wore a leather jacket and some combat trousers and clasped a small uzi in her other hand. She looked down the binoculars at the two men who were searching their old camp for something. They were just looking for anything they could use. However they wouldn't be able to find anything as Whisper, Gill and Rayne had cleared it out to their own camp another cave, it wasn't so much a cave but more a an indentation into a rock where they could have a fire and it was shielded from outside view. She brought the binoculars into focus.

"TRACTOR…. WARREN!" she gasped. She then shot up with her hands in the air.

"TRACORRR…WARRENNNN IT'S MEE RAYNEE" she shouted running out of cover to her friends.

Warren and Tractor both startled by the sudden shouts drew their guns and pointed them in the direction of the shouts.

"What the.." Warren gasped.

But he recognised Rayne straight away and slung his gun back in its holster, as did Tractor.

Rayne threw herself into a hug with Warren and drew Tractor.

"What the hell are you guys doing here? We thought we were cut off from Serenity entirely." Rayne said almost crying. The others came running up behind her, they had no idea of what had happened at Serenity though.

"Why are you guys here?" Gill asked as well obviously happy to see them.

Tractor looked at Warren.

"You guys don't know do you?" Tractor asked.

"No what?" Whisper asked naively

Tractor just sank his head and shuck it.


	3. Sunk

Chapter 3: Sunk 

Warren and Tractor finished explaining what had happened back at Serenity, both had told their tale with tears in their eyes. They had suffered greatly over the last few days and almost everyone they knew had been killed. They didn't know that a few miles away from them Ben and Neil sat in a boat drifting slowly further away.

Whisper was in tears and Rayne held her close.

They were sat in the cave where they had hidden Warlord and they had used the big tank as a cover so that they could light a fire and not attract attention to themselves.

Tractor and Warren were sat by the fire close together and Rayne was sat cross-legged opposite them holding Whisper close as she sobbed.

"Why?" Gill asked, he was leaning against the huge metal bulk that was Warlord.

"…they wanted us gone…for test subjects they're testing on the people they captured as we speak, trying to find a cure" Tractor replied obviously upset at the fact.

"My sister?" Whisper asked.

Warren looked at her curiously he hadn't met Whisper before so had no idea who her sister was.

"I'm sorry, who was your sister?" he asked softly.

"Angel…Sarah Jones" she replied through her breathless tears.

Tractor looked at Warren with a look that suggested that he couldn't find the words right for the situation. Warren contemplated lying to the young woman but considered it was not the right move, as it would give her false hope.

"I'm afraid she was killed, in defence of Serenity" Warren replied shaking his head.

That prompted more tears from the upset scavenger.

X

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in" The Colonel shouted from behind his desk at the military base. His office was dark and he had a small gaslight in front of him as he tried to write a report down. His dark hair and general dark appearance certainly made him seem to be very sinister. His surroundings certainly reflected his motives and his attitude.

The door creak open it was a wooden panelled door. His whole officer looked like something from a 19th centaury English mansion. This was because it was, the village, which was almost a town, which the military had set up their fortress around had a large estate as part of it's grounds. The previous leader McGuire had set up his own personal quarters here and the next Colonel had simply moved in.

In stepped Captain Smite, his combat defined face and sinister look matching the surroundings almost instantly.

"Captain?" The Colonel asked.

"Colonel Author" Smite saluted, snapping his hand up to his head.

Author returned the salute.

"What is there to report Captain?" he asked

"We've started more research with the test subjects." Smite reported.

"Ah good" Author replied rubbing his hands together.

"There's other news as well." Smite said not moving from the spot as though his very feet were glued to the floor. He then continued to report his findings.

"Blythe was out on routine patrol in the helicopter and he said he saw a vessel on the east coast making it's way southwards. He reckons it was a boat from that Serenity place. We both presume this indicates that someone survived the place."

Author nodded at the news then took the pen he was holding and place it aside putting the lid back on. He curled up his hand into a fist then slammed it onto the table in rage.

"GOD DAMMIT" he shouted.

Smite smiled, "Shall I take that as an order to have the vessel sunk?"

"You fucking better." Author ordered.

Smite saluted again and went to leave the room.

"Wait a second Captain." Author blurted out.

Smite paused to look back at his commander.

"Take a chopper and a hand full of men and go and check Serenity one last time I want to make sure we got everyone okay. Any one you find don't bother trying to bring them back her have them fucking shot!" he ordered, "you hear me shoot them on site"

Smite smiled and left the room.

X

Neil was stood up on the deck trying to navigate his way staying close to the shore line the sun was setting and they hadn't made that much progress he thought that they were probably around the middle of England if that, he had no idea how to navigate properly so he was going to do it how he though best by sticking close to the coasts like they used to do in medieval times. He would use the maps on board to tell where they were due to obvious shoreline. Every evening he decided they would pull in close to shore and drop the anchor and sleep until morning. After all they were safe in the water.

Ben had started hobbling around now, he was limping slightly but the colour in his checks had returned to him and he looked better. Neil supposed it was the thought of living this country.

"What if this Sancia girl isn't there any more?" Neil asked

"Then we'll find a tropical island and live out our days drinking coconut milk and have a pet parrot and monkey." Ben replied humorously.

Neil chuckled at the thought.

"I suppose we better anchor up for the night," Neil said moving the vessel closer to shore.

Ben looked around at the sea as the sun began to set on the sea and land. It was a beautiful site.

"What's that sound?" Neil asked frowning with confusion.

Ben listened hard and then glanced across at Neil with horror in his eyes.

"Helicopter" they both gasped.

Neil ran out of the small compartment out onto the outside deck and stood out overlooking the water. There from the North swooping in behind them was a helicopter.

Ben hobbled out after him as quick as he could.

They both heard the whooshing sound and the smoke that appeared from around the helicopter as it launched two rockets at their boat.

"SHIT" Neil cried out, He grabbed Ben round the shoulder and pushed him over the edge of the boat out into the cold sea.

The rockets struck their vessel and blew large holes into it. Scattering the boat to the winds and water.


	4. Axel

Chapter 4: Axel 

Blythe lowered the chopper down over Serenity, they'd just done a swoop over that boat and they'd devastated it. Probably killing the survivors inside, that was the intended effect.

Smite looked over his hand picked squad, they all had separate skills that were useful in the field. They all needed to be skilled to survive the missions they were often given.

Blythe was their chopper pilot his skills spoke for themself he wasn't necessarily needed by the squad but was in it none the less.

There was Smite the leader his ruthless tactics providing a good line for the squad. He was a good leader now doubt against it no one would want to be pitted against him on the battlefield, especially those in his squad who knew what he was like.

It was true he was nowhere near as subtle in tactics as Author was that was why Author was now the leader of the military stronghold.

Next to Smite sat the expert of the demolitions, he had been responsible for the destruction of the walls of Serenity he had pinpointed the co-ordinates for the shelling to be more efficient. His name nickname was Tic, due to the Tic-Toc of a bomb before it blew up. It was just a nickname that had stuck for some reason. He was similar size as Smite and was technically the second in command should something go wrong and Smite was killed.

Then there was Scope, the group's marksman, not a truly original name but it suited them nicely and Scope probably enjoyed the nickname more than any, he was an arrogant man that had more confidence in his abilities than any one else did. He was often the first to open his mouth and have an opinion on something. He was stocky individual and still quite young compared to the rest of the squad but he was still not the youngest.

Then there was Bull, as his nickname suggested he was huge. He lugged the heavy machine gun around with him at all times and it was thought by the rest of the group that he could fire the gun single handed if needed. He was often quiet and kept his thoughts to himself but had shown himself to be very loyal.

There was also Fox, their co-pilot, the group found him to be a very good all rounded soldier as well, having good knowledge on virtually every gun they had managed to lay their hands on. He was a complete gun nut and sometimes he seemed to enjoy the whole zombie outbreak a bit too much for any one's liking. However he was defiantly useful to the team.

Then the youngest of the group, Axel, he was the supposed combat medic of the group. However his skills lay more with technology and vehicles. He actually knew how to fly a helicopter and had done so in the past. He was pretty good at hacking into databases, although that skill was basically obsolete now due to the huge lack of power in every major city. He was quite handy at treating wounds, although he was the youngest member of the group and had only really been added during the assault on Serenity as they were dealing with gun shot wounds rather than the undead, as getting bitten by one of them would not need medical attention as you were a dead man walking as soon as you had been bitten.

He had yet to prove himself to the group, he only wielded a berretta and a combat knife, but his speed and agility couldn't be matched by anyone else in the team. He had already established himself in the group as the funny man and the quick witted one but, his young looks and lack of major battle experience still meant most of the group saw him as the weakest member of the group

"Hey kid" Scope said across the chopper.

Axel looked up from his seat opposite Scope. "What is it Scope?" he asked cheerfully.

"You ain't going to freeze up if you see a body are ya?" Scope asked mockingly.

"No…you had me mistaken, last time you were standing the way of the body, it was your face that scared me" Axel replied.

The group began to laugh apart from Scope who looked very hurt by the comment.

"He got you there Scopey" Tic said patting the disgruntled sniper on the head.

"QUIET DOWN LADS" Smite shouted over the noise of the chopper, "you all know why we're here we finding any survivors of the raid a day or so ago, there are probably still zombies around so watch yourselves okay, we're going to spilt up from each other when we land, each of you take a building each or ruin okay, watch out for survivors to they might be armed."

The entire group nodded their acknowledgments.

The chopper descended onto the ruins its large lights illuminating the dead compound.

As soon as it hit the ground, Smite, Tic, Bull, Scope and Fox all hopped out of the chopper onto the ground. Before they could even get their bearings there were several undead running out from different areas all screeching and snarling their eagerness at finding new food.

Bull raised his machine gun and gunned down a few, Scope followed suit his accurate shots talking the undead down instantly.

Axel only had one to deal with and he dealt with it in a skilful fashion, he waited until the zombie was a few steps from him then he stepped forward into it's path his foot clipping it's shin and it flew forwards to the floor as he side stepped and he slammed his knife down into the back of it's head.

"Everyone clear?" Smite shouted after the short fight.

"Clear" Axel yelled over the _woop woop_ of the chopper.

"Right Axel you go and check the armoury, Bull the infirmary, Scope the workshop. Tic you come with me and we'll sweep through the main building."

Axel was off in a side run with his gun out in one hand and keeping it steady with his knife hand. He kept it raised by his head ready to fire if the chance presented itself.

He ran all the way to armoury and he reached it and realised the whole building was virtually untouched by anything. He was surprised it hadn't been decimated in the shelling. He pushed the door open any way and stepped into the deathly dark room. He had a flashlight connected to the bottom of his gun and he flicked it on. He was presented with rows of racks were weapons should've been. There was only the odd rifle and handgun left now. He sidled into the room keeping his gun raised.

He moved his gun around slowly and kept his ears sharpened for any noise, after a quick scan it appeared that the room was clear, he turned to leave. However he heard a cough. He sharply turned round and pointed his gun in the direction of the cough. There was a group of three tall boxes not doubt the noise came from there. He moved up the box and kept his gun trained on it.

As he moved round he saw the barrel of a gun produce itself from around the side of it, then a gun cocking followed it.

Axel wasted no time and leapt forward and grabbed the barrel of the gun and twisted it towards him. Causing the owner of the gun to yelp from shock as the gun scattered to the floor.

Axel turned and raised his gun at his would be assassin.

There a man, a woman and two children showed themselves. The man had his hands raised and the woman struggled to keep the children behind them protecting them.

Axel's jaw dropped at the sight of the ragged family.

"Please don't kill us." The man pleaded,

Axel shook his head, "I'm not going to shoot you." He said out right in a matter of fact voice.

The man frowned with confusion.

"Just cause I'm with those guys doesn't mean I'm on their side." Axel grinned; it was true he was far from on the military's side. He'd do anything not to be stuck in the fortress with the slave keeping murders who were his comrades. He' never actively taken part in Serenity, he'd only been involved in a minor way in the last attack. He had tried to save as many people as possible from the infirmary. Alas he hadn't been able to save them all but he'd done his best.

He was a traitor to the military he was just looking for a way out.

"What?" The woman asked.

Axel bent down and picked up the rifle and handed it back to the man.

"Stay here for a while to you've heard the chopper has gone, then close the gates we should've cleared by the time we leave." As if to enforce his point there were several gunshots.

"What? Why?" The man asked utterly confused.

"You should be safe then." Axel smiled and slapped the man friendly on the shoulder.

With that he turned and left the room.


	5. Landing

Chapter 5: Landing 

The next morning the waves crashed down on the sunny English beach. The land looked almost peaceful in the morning sunlight. It would be impossible to link what had happened in the country from the site that would greet you.

A body lay in the waves as the lapped up licking the huddled wreck. The body drew in breaths slowly showing him to be quite healthy.

There was another figure on the beach that was hobbling around; he was around a group of sticks and planks collected in a large group. The man that was hobbling around bent down by the sticks and stepped back when they lit up and the fire licked the wood and soon the whole lot was up in flames.

The man hobbled over to the body that was being slowly engulfed by the waves. He grabbed the man round the shoulders and pulled him up the beach towards the fire and then sat down next to it as the body continued to breath slowly.

"You always were a heavy sleeper Neil" Ben gasped as he collapsed on the floor next to his friend.

X

Axel was in the hall of the estate at the military stronghold, he was sat on one of the old chairs with Scope and Fox. He was dressed in his urban camo bottoms, a black t-shirt and his black leather jacket that had two white strips running from the neck and shoulders down to the cuffs along the sleeves. He'd gotten dressed after sleeping of most of the night they had returned from Serenity around midnight.

They were waiting for Smite to come out of Authors office to find out whether they had a mission in the next few days. If not they would be allowed to go around their own devises for a few days, they could even go out if they wanted to but there would be no point it wasn't safe to go more that a few miles from the stronghold and that was only if you were a good runner so you could outrun the undead back.

"I'm going to get drunk tonight" Scope announced to the three of them. Fox and Axel both gave their comrade a strange look.

"That is if we've tomorrow off as well." He then corrected.

Fox merely shook his head where Axel couldn't help but laugh at his stupid comrade, that man lived to get drunk it seemed.

"What you laughing at newbie?" he asked spitefully

"Not sure the label has fallen off." Axel quickly replied.

Fox then burst into laughter after Axel's comment; it obviously irritated Scope to the point of violence as he stood up to have an encounter with the young man.

As Scope stood up tightening his fist to prepare for the fight. The door to Colonel Author's office opened and then Smite stepped out a grin on his face. He gave thumbs up to the three of them and Scope's apparent anger streak went and he grinned at his two supposed friends and turned to leave grinning like an idiot.

Axel looked at Fox with a slight smile of confusion on his face.

"What to do, what to do?" Axel asked himself as he stood up and left the room. He already had plans, he was slowly collecting a horde in the forest to try and get himself away from this place, another three days would help him build up some more supplies.

X

That morning not too far away Tractor and Warren were sat overlooking the military stronghold a bush that not too long again Martin had lost his life by. Neither of the two men knew it though.

"What do you think" Warren asked, As the two looked at the large metal green walls that surrounded the small town.

Tractor just shuck his head then sighed, "This is bloody hopeless."

"Come on we've got to get them out" Warren replied quickly, slightly angry at his friends lack of enthusiasm.

Tractor nodded and took another look at the stronghold.

"What we need is someone on the inside who knows where everything is going on." Tractor then added. "Perhaps we can try getting close to one of the workers, who are being forced to work here in the fields." He suggested hopefully.

"Now that's more like it." Warren replied, "When do you think they come out?"

Tractor just shrugged his shoulders in reply.

X

Ben lay staring at the sky as he waited for Neil to regain consciousness. He'd set up the fire in a vein attempt to cook some food that he'd managed to find in an abandoned lifeboat station a little way down the beach.

Neil was practically snoring; Ben could hear his heavy breathing that showed he was fine just knocked out from the boats destruction. During the explosion Ben had managed to grab onto a plank of wood and kept hold of his friend and had paddled his way to shore. However they were now weapon less both of Ben's guns had been below deck and Neil's gun had been soaked to the point the bullets were now useless. He'd managed to find three knives at the lifeboat station they were all fairly long divers knives but still they weren't guns.

Ben was shirt less and his combat trousers had eventually dried out and he was in dire need of some new clothes and soon. However his travelling was limited due to the fact that the beach had large cliffs above it and he was too scared to leave Neil alone, and he was hardly mobile.

On the fire there now shimmered a pot of tinned soup that he'd found. Ben was listening for it to start boiling before he attempted to eat it with some of the cutlery he'd dragged back from the station.

He closed his eyes and listened intently to the waves lapping the shore. It was a serene place hard to believe that perhaps two miles away there were creatures roaming around in search of human flesh to satisfy their dire need to feed.

Ben heard the snapping sound of the soup boiling then he carefully and taking his time about it hauled himself up from the ground to sit on his knees.

There was a pot with enough soup for the both of them but he had no idea if Neil was going to wake any time soon.

He used a stick to push the pot slowly away from the fire and he looked down at his meal. It was chicken and vegetable according to the tin. However he didn't honestly care he was just hungry.

He reached over to the sack that was little more than a folded rag. He'd been able to carry it properly so there was a mark along the beach from where he had dragged it. It contained the knives, two pots, a lighter, which still worked, several spoons, some forks, five tins of soup, two tins of fruit salad and three tins of tinned meat.

He grabbed one of the spoons then dipped it into the soup and he tasted the mixture.

"Not bad if I do say so myself" he commented.

There was a slight groan from his side and then a voice.

"You know talking to yourself is the first sign of madness?" the voice asked.

"Well did you know sleeping on a beach is the second?" he replied.

Neil and Ben both chuckled despite their ridiculous state.


	6. End Of A Hero

Chapter 6: End of a Hero 

Ben and Neil both sat on the beach, they hadn't moved for a few hours so much now that the sun was starting to set over the land.

The fire crackled and spluttered next to the two men. They were cooking some of the tinned meat to eat. They had spent most of the day just recovering from their latest ordeal.

They had sat and talked through most of the day, but neither one of them had mentioned what had happened to the boat and that there plan was now in ruins. They didn't even bring up Serenity at all. They didn't even consider what they were going to do when their food ran out.

Ben sat up his arms resting on his knees and he tossed one of the long thin knives up and down, catching it by the blade and handle alternatively. His other hand clasped onto the crucifix that hung around his neck.

Neil watched the tide coming in and the sun setting on the land.

"The food almost done?" Neil asked, and then coughed.

Ben glanced over and looked at the repulsive looking meat.

"I think so…it's hard to tell it looks vile" Ben replied

Neil laughed slightly and glanced across at his friend.

Ben looked tired and the fact that he had dried sand on the edge of his face added to this appearance.

X

Smite sat on the edge of the chopper as Blythe warmed up the engine they were waiting for the squad to reassemble as their leave had been cancelled. Author wanted them to do a sweep along the coast looking for other survivors of Serenity encase more of them had escaped on boats.

Smite knew the men wouldn't be exactly happy after it but then again they were soldiers they had to accept orders as they came.

On the raised metal helicopter pad Axel was the first to appear. He didn't look exactly happy even though he was smiling. It was impossible to tell with him sometimes he often hid his emotions under a blanket of sarcasm and wit. Which is why Smite didn't trust him, he wasn't easy to read.

"Evening Cap" Axel said as he looked down to the satchel on his hip, his medical supplies. Must have been giving them the once over before they left.

"Axel" Smite nodded.

Scope and Fox emerged soon after words carrying their guns over their shoulders they were laughing and they both seemed to not especially care about the fact that their leave had been cancelled for the time being.

Axel thought they enjoyed the situation way too much.

"What are we going to be doing tonight then Captain?" Scope asked as he made sure his gun was ready.

Tic and Bull then headed up behind them guns in hands.

"Search and Destroy" he said over the helicopter engine.

"I thought it was going to be a boring night," Fox said hoping next into the chopper next to Blythe.

Axel raised an eyebrow but decided not to express his disgust at Fox's flippancy, but he would be free of them soon. He had no need to start stirring things up it only meant that they might chase him.

He clambered into the chopper and sat next to Smite his legs dangling over the edge of the helicopter as the others clambered into it.

Not long after they had settled down the chopper lifted into the air and Axel felt the wind blowing against his legs and he glanced across at their officer.

The chopper rose into the night and headed towards the coast.

"So…Axel…where do you come from?" Smite asked.

Axel smiled and looked at the man rather confused, "What do you mean sir?"

"You know before all this happened, you've been on the team for a while now and I know nothing of you"

"Oh…I…err…"

"What's a matter private cat got your tongue?"

"No…I just…sorry…it's not that interesting really." Axel stuttered

"Indulge me" Smite smiled, for that moment Axel actually believed that the man cared about him to some degree.

"Well…I grew up in Birmingham…I went to school in Solihull…I went through the whole school and I joined the military after leaving the sixth form…I really wanted to go to medical school but my parents couldn't afford the fees, so I went into the medical core of the army and I was stationed in Scotland at the time of the outbreak, my squad ended up and the stronghold within a few days and well that's about it…" Axel explained.

"A touching story" Scope uttered pretending to wipe a tear from his eye

Axel didn't bother responding he just glared across the chopper at him.

X

Ben handed some food to Neil. Neil looked down at it and his stomach rumbled yearning him to eat it but he really couldn't see why it looked awful.

"I guess beggars can't be choosers." Ben said taking a bit out of the tinned meat. His face crumpled up from disgust for a moment and then relaxed.

Neil followed suit, the meat was truly awful but they had no choice.

The two eat together in virtual silence, the only time they spoke it was about how bad the food was.

By the time they'd completely finished they were sat under the stars and the quiet ocean lapped the shores not too far from them. Their fire illuminated a large area around them.

"What's that sound?" Neil asked. He could hear something but couldn't tell exactly what it was.

X

Only a mile away the helicopter had seen their fire and they had made a quick landing on the beach and were by the lifeboat station Ben had found not too long ago.

Axel knelt in the darkness only a few yards away from Smite.

"Right, I want us to move down the beach slowly, we've seen their fire. Good thing too otherwise we wouldn't be able to take them unawares. Scope and Fox, you two are going to stay here and guard the helicopter. Tic, Bull, Axel you're with me, remember shoot only if necessary I'd like to get whoever is by the fire back to the base. So they can tell us where any other survivors are."

The group nodded, Axel knew what that meant whoever they caught was going to be tortured till he ratted out his friends then experimented on.

He grudgingly drew his handgun and snuck off with his group into the darkness.

X

Neil was looking around frantically in the sky he was sure he'd heard a helicopter flying around somewhere. Ben was trying to build a small wall round the fire to cover it so that it wouldn't give away their position to the helicopter.

"See anything?" he asked as he piled the sand up in a wall round the fire to try and shield it.

"No I can't make anything out" Neil replied standing up.

He glanced towards Ben and then towards the sky again. Not sure what to expect to see now it had been a while since they'd heard it.

Ben stood up from where he was he still had a limp and it took him a while to get up but he managed it. They both held the knives he'd found in a hand, it would've been no use against both the undead and the military but at least they were some time of weapons.

Ben moved over and stood next to Neil in the firelight and looked into the sky and at the stars.

"What do we do if they find us?" Neil asked.

"Too late." A voice said.

They both span round, A man that looked familiar to both of them had a machine gun raised pointed at Neil and they both saw several other standing behind them in the fire light.

"Shit" Ben gasped.

"YOU!" Neil shouted,

The man laughed.

"That's one of the fuckers in charge of those bastards." Neil exclaimed.

It then ticked in Ben's head who the man was it was one of the Captain's in charge of the attack on Serenity. It was Captain Smite.

"If by those bastards you mean my men then yes that would be me." He laughed.

"I'll fucking kill you, you shit" Neil said rage swelling up inside of him his hand clasped round the knife blade.

"That'd be interesting thing for you to do with a bullet lodged in your lung." Smite said lowing his rifle.

_**BANG**_

Neil's expression changed from rage to pain as the bullet went through him and exploded in his chest ripping his lungs apart and spraying blood and gore out from the exit wound in his back.

"NEIL!" Ben shouted dropping to the ground next to his dying friend.

"CAPTAIN" Axel shouted running forward. "What the hell did you do that for?" he said then realising he could be stepping to far out of line.

"The man threatened to kill me, you all heard it." He said as a sinister grin formed on the side of his mouth.

"But he only had a knife." Axel protested.

"I don't give a shit private, you remember your rank!" Smite suddenly shouted.

"Seeing as you care so much you can have the pleasure of dragging the other rat back to the chopper."

As Ben sobbed Smite slammed the butt of his gun onto the back of his head knocking him out cold.

Then there on that beach, Neil drew the last breath he could into his bloody filled lungs. Then he died.


	7. Preacher's Capture

**Chapter 7: Preacher's Capture**

Warren, Tractor and Gil were crouched by the same bush where they had spied the walls of the military camp. There had been another undead assault in the past few hours on the walls and there were currently soldiers burning the corpses outside the wall. There were no civilians outside of the wall at the moment, as they seemed to be forced to stay inside.

Warren looked through some binoculars over the camp zooming in and out of things that caught his attention. They had seen a chopper leave before the undead assault on the camp but they were waiting to see exactly the choppers were kept. If they were to assault the camp with just the five of them they'd need to know where they were as they could be used to cause diversions and explode.

They heard the rattle as a chopper as it approached the floodlight lit camp.

"Here they come" Gil observed. They all looked up into the sky as they heard it descend towards the camp. Several soldier sat on the door of the chopper their legs dangling out of the helicopter. They all said a silent prayer to themselves that one of the bastards would slip and fall to his death.

As the chopper descended people in the camp ran back and forth preparing for it's landing.

Warren zoomed on the chopper as it slowly touched down and its heavy engine switched off and its rotors began to slow. The soldiers hopped out of the chopper except for one who dragged what appeared to be a man's legs out. He tugged with a bit of effort and the torso was exposed soon followed by a young looking soldier holding the top part of the body.

"FUCK ME!" Warren gasped zooming in on the person they were carrying.

"What?" Tractor asked.

Warren couldn't speak his voice had gone from the shock and he handed the binoculars to his friend. Tractor quickly focused in on the body they were carrying.

"PREACHER!" he exclaimed.

Gill gasped at the shock and quickly grabbed at the binoculars and looked through them at the knocked out man.

His body covered in scars from the wounds he'd collected over the past few weeks some fresh blood trickled down the front of his head from a fresh wound. He still had his crucifix necklace on and he Gill could also see some of the religious tattoos on the man's body. He looked very much like a religious fanatic, which he was, but he looked almost dead which wasn't normal for Preacher at all.

"We've got to help him" Gill said passing the binoculars to Warren again.

"Fuck knows how though" Warren sighed.

X

Axel struggled to lift the man look out of the chopper, Scope had helped him get him out of the chopper and he was forced to lift the man by himself.

The man's body was covered in wounds and tattoos depicting his obvious religious stance. He looked like a celtic warrior from a movie almost if it weren't for the modern combat trousers he was wearing. Axel had been told to take him to the mass cells, which he would. They were underground under the manor house. The prisoners were all kept there, as they were closer to the labs then.

As he struggled with the man he made a vow. This man and everyone else in the cells would be let out soon. He wasn't going to leave now without having helped this people escape soon.

He walked through the entrance of the manor house where the receptionist nodded to him and opened a huge metal door that led down. He struggled down passing soldiers and scientists alike then after about ten minutes of winding corridors he reached the mass cells. He slammed the button on the outside; he also flashed a smile to the two guards.

The door slid open to reveal about thirty people all in a huge cell, the room betrayed the clean white corridors of the labs. This looked like a room that had simply been hollowed out of the ground and it was a dirty cave. The people inside flinched at the sudden intrusion of lit. They also gasped thinking yet another of their number would be taken away to be tested on.

Axel placed the man on the ground and with a quick look around the dirty scared people he left, closing the door behind him.

X

"Preacher's alive?" Whisper asked from the inside of their cave were Warlord and their supplies now stood together.

"He seemed to be he looked unconscious from a distance" Warren said.

"If he's alive then that might mean others are" Gill added

"I wouldn't count on it too much" Tractor said killing the mood "he could well have been the only survivor."

"Well either way he's alive" Rayne added she added a sly smile afterwards.

"Looks like we've got ourselves another reason to get into there." Warren added grinning.

He had a plan.


	8. The Condemned

Chapter 8: The Condemned 

Ben was first aware of the sound of muttered whisperings. It was strange how having being knocked out several times over the past weeks he always wondered why it was his sense of hearing to return first out of everything. His head was throbbing it felt as though there was a battle of elephants going on inside his head.

"How's he doing?" A voice asked, it was a deep gruff voice that if Ben was completely awake he would have recognised.

"He seems to be okay, of course you can never tell with head injuries" another voice replied.

"Sure, sure" the gruff voice replied.

Then Ben was aware a hand was stroking his forehead brushing his dirty and greasy hair out of his eyes. He tried to speak but all he could manage was a groan

"What was that?" The gruff voice said.

"I think he's coming round." The other voice commented.

Then Ben was aware of a sudden burning inside his chest it felt as though molten lava was rushing up through his chest. He suddenly snapped upwards, away from the protective hand, and emptied the sudden rush of bile onto the floor.

"Bloody hell" a voice said in shock and Ben wretched up his guts all over the floor.

"Sometimes a head injury can do that." The softer voice of the two commented.

There was more than one person round Ben now, he could hear more mutterings but he couldn't dare look up from the vomit which now still emptied out of his stomach. With one last wretch he finished off his sudden task.

"Jesus how much do you want to empty out kid" a new voice said.

Ben wiped his mouth with his wrist and looked up at the people now looking down on him. All of them looked like they'd been living in the cave, which he now found himself in.

The owner of the softest voice was that of a woman, she was a red head, her hair was cut short and she wore squarish glasses. Her face was pointed but didn't betray the beauty of her. The oldest voice who had called him a kid was a man in his fifties and looked as though he'd been a school teacher before the outbreak. The other man Ben recognised instantly.

"Isaac?" he gasped.

"It's me Ben" the man nodded back, with his gruff voice.

Ben shot up as fast as he could, and stumbled forward to embrace the man.

"I thought you dead a long time ago friend." Ben said, bursting into a frenzy of laughter.

"Nope survived this bloody mess" the man laughed back his gruff voice still staying in the same pitch.

The man Isaac was taller than Ben and built taller than him and muscles were quite obvious his blonde hair and blue eyes gave him a very handsome look. Even in his grubby state.

The two pulled out of the hug but left their hands on each other's shoulders.

"You know this guy?" The woman asked, "How come you didn't say?"

Ben glanced at the woman, as did Isaac.

"Yeah, I know him, I didn't say cause it's been several years since I've seen this son of a bitch." He laughed, "He was in the platoon ages ago"

"The Reapers?" The woman asked again.

"No, God no this guy's far too moral to do anything like that, back when we were a peace keeper platoon, before that bastard Smite was in charge" Isaac corrected.

"I see," she said.

"God Ben I haven't seen you since that time in Africa." He continued.

"It's been years Isaac." Ben nodded again, then suddenly an idea struck him, he would know of Sancia more than any one.

He suddenly had renewed energy, "Sancia!" he exclaimed, "Do you know what happened to her?"

Isaac's smile suddenly disappeared. "You don't know?"

"What?" Ben asked a cold blanket wrapping his body up with despair.

"Ben…She…She died…years ago."

That sudden explanation reawakened his sense of loss, his heart sank. He suddenly felt all was gone and he was reminded of the death of his friend Neil. His head pounded from the blow earlier and the tears forced their way out of his eyes as he stumbled back down onto the ground and put his head in his hands.

Isaac looked at the others and scratched at some of the stubble on his chin. He then bent down to his old friend.

"I'm sorry Ben, I thought you knew. She died not long after you'd left. It was TB that got her. Not this plague." Isaac said in vein attempt to comfort him.

The woman who was stood by Isaac looked around at the other prisoners gathered around and she could see on their faces that some of them recognised the man now weeping on the floor.

"Who is this guy?" she asked an open mouthed man next to her.

"It's Preacher, he was in the defence force at Serenity. He, I thought he was dead we all did. I've no idea how he escaped." The man explained.

"Preacher?" she frowned.

"A Christian, the closest thing we had to a priest can't you tell by tattoos and the jewellery." The man said as if it was obvious.

Ben wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at Isaac. Then looked around and familiar faces were looking down at him a number of faces he recognised from Serenity. Suddenly a kid emerged from the adult's legs, a small brown haired boy that Preacher recognised. Back at Serenity being the closest thing to a Priest he'd taught the kids about religion, those whose parents wanted them to have faith.

"Preacher!" he exclaimed and ran forward from the crowd and wrapped his arms around Ben's shoulders.

"Guy!" Ben said accepting the embrace.

The kid laughed and Ben closed his eyes and forced his pain away. He said the Lord's Prayer to himself. Trying to calm him and keep him focused.

X

A few hours later Warren and the others were overlooking the camp again the workers were now in the fields trying to harvest their crops and the soldiers were positioned around the fields.

"So we're going to get in there?" Gill asked

"Yes" Warren replied nodding his head.

"Exactly how are we meant to do that then?" Rayne also questioned.

"We need to get some workers clothes and sneak in." Warren explained.

"I like the addition of "we" into that sentence, its bloody suicide" Rayne said sarcastically.

"Look it's simple, the height of the crops means we can get close to one of the workers without being seen, then we can talk to one of them. Then if you noticed the workers are also coming out with carts and rucksacks full of equipment they could hide some clothes in there so we look less like…well us."

"And we're to trust one random worker?" Whisper asked.

"They must hate the military as much as us." Tractor added defending Warren's plot.

"Right well I aren't going down there." Rayne said being negative again.

Warren shook his head and Rayne's pessimism and smiled at Tractor.

"Look it'll be best if just one of us goes down there, you guys head back to the camp I'll try and make contact it's best if we're not hanging around here too much." Warren said.

Gill nodded, being a sort of leader to Whisper and Rayne.

"Okay let's go guys. We'll get something cooked up while your doing that so that you can eat when you get back."

Warren smiled and nodded "I might be gone a while, but don't worry that just means things are going well."

The others quietly snuck back into the forest.

Warren then crawled out of the bush and began to make his way down the hill using as much foliage for cover as possible.

X

Ben had just spent the last few hours making his way around the vast numbers of prisoners making sure they were all okay. After all he needed to know how many people had escaped Serenity and there was a large number of them. His friend Isaac had explained what had happened to himself since the outbreak as well.

He'd been called back to the England to fight, as their unit was sort of a reserve unit. He and the other members of the unit had been sent to the Glasgow as that where their ship had pulled into port and by the time they'd got there the city was in ruins. The unit had fought its way through the dead city and escaped into the Scottish highlands by that point only ten or so members were left. Then after living on the move they had liked up with a larger military outpost where they had set up a camp round the village and manor house. It was then Isaac had realised that it was a top-secret lab, one in which they'd already started looking for a cure. After he'd found out what was happening in the labs he'd refused you take any orders from his now commanding officer Smite. He'd been placed in charge of the unit since they arrived at the base, and they were nicknamed the Reapers as they'd what can only be described as scythed their way out of Glasgow. He couldn't bear what they were doing to the "excess" civilians that they had so Isaac had chosen to become a test subject rather than beat them. Fortunately his time to be tested on hadn't arrived yet.

Ben now sat with Isaac and, the woman who Ben now knew as, Katy. They were sat by the metal sliding door that led into the cavern and looked around talking.

"So? You escaped by a boat?" Isaac asked.

"Till they blew the boat up," Ben replied nodding.

"That's when they killed your friend Neil?" Katy asked.

"Yes" Ben said as he tried to force the memory away.

"They must have kept you alive for a reason Ben" Isaac said, "That Smite's a real bastard as you know but, he's probably got something in store for you."

Ben simply nodded.

"I'm surprised they haven't been for another test subject in the past two days." Katy added.

"Perhaps they've actually found a cure" Isaac mocked.

Ben looked around, "perhaps there is" Ben suggested.

Katy and Isaac exchanged a looked that betrayed their emotions on that topic.

"Believe me Ben, they've killed enough of us so far to have found one. I don't like this miracle cure they're looking for something is not right."

As Isaac finished they all heard clanking and the door swished open.

Two men stepped in, both of which Ben recognised Scope and Tic.

Ben looked up in horror at two of his former comrades.

Isaac had said who'd survived out of the unit but now he saw two men that Ben would have once called his friends, he now saw the men who killed his people and forced them to be tested him.

"Morning sleeping beauty." Scope grinned.

Tic merely laughed and reached forward and grabbed Ben by his hair and pulled him to his feet. Fear gripped the cavern as the witnessed their latest leader was grabbed by the head and thrown out of the room.

Ben stumbled out into the pristine corridor past some guards and his crashed against the opposite wall.

"Get up Ben, we've got a challenge for you" Tic said as he grabbed Ben's arm and forced it behind his back and then forced him down a corridor. He pulled a knife out of his belt as he did this and looked at his Scope grinning.

Ben was terrified he thought that just as he'd escaped death once again he was going to be gutted like a rabbit. After several twists and turns though he found himself in another corridor walking past glass fronted labs where he could see cadavers on lab tables being gutted open and scientists walking around performing several procedures. He also saw live patients being operated on and being injected with various chemicals.

He was taking to a clean white room and was thrown in and Tic and Scope looked into the room and Tic laughed and threw his knife in and the twacked into the ground near Ben's head. And the door closed with the ominous laughing of the pair. Ben stumbled up and looked around the room. There were two doors into the room one opposite the one he'd entered and the one he'd come in through. There was a mirror on one wall, which was obviously one-way glass. Suddenly the door opposite him opened to reveal a cage. Ben looked in horror as the man in the cage thrashed about wildly. It was obvious he was undead; he thrashed around until he noticed Ben. Then he stopped and stared. Saliva dribbling out of his mouth like a rabid dog. His eyes weren't glazed over any more in fact they were bright red. The irises were vile to look at as the focused on him. Ben looked in horror at the zombie; it's hands were a mess it seemed as though the skin of its fingers had been ripped off to reveal the bones changing his hands into talon like things.

It then clasped the bars and began to rattle the cage then suddenly the door was opened and it dashed forward. Ben had little time to react but jumped into the air slamming both of his feet into it's chest and it flew backwards to the floor. Ben landed next to the knife and grabbed the handle. He clambered up as the creature leapt to its feet. Ben span round keeping the knife between him and the creature. It seemed to recognise what the knife was and what if could be used for and they began to circle each other.

After a few seconds that seemed like hours the creature attacked with one of its claw like hands. Ben scuttled backwards parrying the slash. The other claw came in though and he ducked under it then before the creature could react he clenched up his free hand and jumped up into an uppercut. The creature crashed to the floor at least a meter away from him. And he flicked the knife round grabbing it by the blade. The creature got up again and looked at Ben for a split second giving him enough time to throw the knife straight into one of it's disgusting eyes. There was no squeal or shout of pain from the creature instead it just slumped to the floor dead.

A few seconds passed and all Ben could hear was his own heavy breathing then suddenly he heard the crackle of an intercom.

"Bravo, I expected you not to even survive at all, well done Ben" the voice said sounding genuinely excited, "Or is it Preacher I don't believe we've been introduced."

Ben rushed to the body and pulled the knife out of the corpse and threw it at the one-way glass nothing happened but there was the sound of it recoiling from it.

"Oh tut tut Ben we're going to have to control that temper of yours."


	9. Warren & Axel

Chapter 9: Axel and Warren 

Warren made his way down the hill towards the fields and the workers moving from bush to bush trying not to get spotted by any one. He had to get close to a worker and not attract too much attention by others other wise their plan would be ruined. Now that the military had captured Ben, time was going more and more against them.

He popped up from behind a bush glanced around then sprinted to the next bush and dived behind it throwing himself to the floor.

He then decided that he'd need to crawl now to reach the crops, then when he entered the crops he would have to find a close worker and just keep moving towards them he couldn't keep looking up it would be too great a risk.

X

Gill, Tractor, Rayne and Whisper made their way slowly back to their camp.

They all hated dragging their guns around with them; after all before the incident none of them had been military. They were all civilians forced into fighting for survival. It was something that kept them mentally tired all the time. Whisper always seemed to be nervous. Even though they hadn't seen any undead for a good week now. The military camp had been attacked once since they'd been hiding in their cave. They went over a few dirt mounds then they saw the cave with some branches draped over the front to cover when they were having a fire. Rayne had her arm around Whisper's shoulder the two had bonded like sisters since they'd been cut off from Serenity. Rayne always seemed to have her uzi in her hand. Whisper never touched the grenade gun that was now strapped to her thigh. It seemed as though she had it out of simple safety if needed.

Gill walked with his rifle in his hand slung over his shoulder and walked fairly confidently. A man of his frame could have easily done it.

Tractor in his ragged clothes and ragged hair and unshaven face looked extremely dishevelled. Look as though before the outbreak he should have been on a street corner.

He held a shotgun in his hands. He'd found it in the equipment they'd salvaged from the bodies of the scavengers.

They approached the cave slowly at an amble and as they reached the cave Tractor, who was at the front of the group stopped and raised his gun at the entrance he'd heard something.

"What is it?" Gill whispered raising his own gun.

"There's some one in there." Tractor hushed back.

Rayne stepped forward and cocked her gun.

"I'll deal with them." She smiled.

"Don't you fool!" Tractor exclaimed.

Rayne stared open mouthed at the man who had just insulted her, waiting for an explanation.

"Any shots will be heard by the military from here. They'll know we're hiding out here." Tractor explained.

Rayne frowned as though she had difficulty understanding it and then nodded.

Tractor looked around at his friends.

"Any one got a knife?" he whispered.

All three of them all looked down to their belts and pulled out a knife instantly, which left Tractor feeling a bit stupid about him for not having one. All he had was a wrench that he'd kept from repairing Warlord.

"Well let's find out who it is." Tractor said slinging his shotgun over his shoulder and pulling the wrench out of his belt.

"Come on out, we know you're in there!" he said in a loud voice.

Suddenly the rustling from inside the cave stood and there was a second of silence and it suddenly dawned on the four who was in the cave.

An undead screeched as it charged out of the cave at them.

"SHIT!" Gill exclaimed as it lunged for him.

Another five all snarling and hungry for flesh followed the first zombie.

Gill sidled backwards and plunged his knife at the zombie's mouth.

Rayne dived forward knocking it of its balance and scattering it to the floor.

Two other charged at Whisper he flailed wildly with her own knife. Tractor was terrified as three of the cannibalistic undead charged at him. All he could think of doing was running but his legs were frozen. He attempted to smash the leading zombie's face but he was knocked to ground by it and the three were on him almost instantly.

Gill's knife slammed into the zombies head mashing it's brain entirely as he'd jumped on top of it as Rayne had knocked it over. Rayne had rushed to help Tractor. She slammed one of her combat boots into one of their faces. Forcing it to fly off Tractor with a satisfying crunch. Tractor screamed as he tried to avoid the teeth of the eager dead.

Whisper's survival instinct raged up inside her as the leading zombie she leaned down into it and forced it to fly over her. And she came out of the topple throwing an uppercut at the following zombie and it fell down it front of her. Before the one behind had chance to stand up she stamped on the back of its head. Smashing its teeth into the ground. It was easily possible to here the teeth breaking from their place in the jaw.

Rayne jumped down to wrestle a zombie away from Tractor. Wrapping her arms around its neck and dragging it backwards. She slammed her knife into its temple causing a torrent of blood to launch from the wound.

Tractor was then left to deal with one more of the creatures.

"GET OFF ME" he cried as he summoned what strength he could slamming a fist into it's face making it fly off him side ways.

Whisper turned back round to see the other zombie standing up. She charged over to it and slammed her boot into its groin and dived onto it pushing all her weight and using gravity onto the blade mashing it into its face.

Gill stood up from his fresh kill and moved onto the one that Rayne had kicked in the face. And set to using his knife on it as well.

Tractor stood up grabbing his wrench and slammed it down onto the zombie's head, again and again. Until there was a large hole in it's skull.

Then silence settled over the area. Everything had happened in little over twenty seconds. Now all that could be heard was heaving breathing.

X

Warren was crawling straight through the grain fields when he heard the footsteps of what he thought was a near by worker.

"Psst!" he whispered in hope of attracted attention of the passer by.

The person was humming to himself or herself who ever they were. So Warren decided to let them get closer before he would attract their attention.

The seconds past and the footsteps got closer.

"Hey" he said almost saying inwardly to try and make it quiet as possible.

The footsteps and the humming stopped.

"Who's there?" a male voice said back.

"A friend" Warren said. "Over here."

He looked up to see a man approaching. Who was wearing a black army uniform. With a family symbol on his arm. Something that identified him as a member of the feared Reaper squad.

He had a handgun drawn from a holster. He also had a sack slung over his shoulder something that had a medic's symbol over his shoulder.

"Shit" Warren gasped.

"Expecting someone else?" he said raising an eyebrow and a youthful smile appearing on his face.

"Someone at least that was still human" Warren snapped.

"You assume cause I wear this uniform I lack a soul" The man replied cheekily.

"Well you going to shoot me at all?" Warren asked extremely angry with him.

"Why should I do that, I intend to help you." He replied putting his gun back in the holster.

"Name's Axel" he said smiling holding out his hand.

"Eh?" Warren gasped.


	10. Information

Chapter 10: Information 

Ben stood staring at the one-way glass, as though he expected some sort of reaction to come form it.

Instead all he heard was the sound of the door to his right now opening. He turned to face the door. Again Tic and Scope were back, to what he thought would now be another fighting test.

There was a tense moment as they all looked at each other.

"You bastards." Ben uttered, having nothing but contempt for the men who several years ago had stood next to him on the battlefields in Africa. To him the men who knew back then were dead. He'd never been particularly close to them back then but he'd been proud to know that they at one stage had had his back. That they looked after him when he was in need of a hand they were brothers in arms.

Tic just smiled and Scope seemed to get infuriated by the remark. This was made evident when he walked over to Ben and slammed his fist into his face. Ben crumpled down onto the floor holding his face.

"Real strong beating a prisoner" Ben said spiting the blood from his mouth.

"No, it's a show of power" Scope then proceeded to kick him in the chest, winding him and leaving him struggling to draw breath on the floor.

"Get up!" Tic said grabbing him by the hair again and forcing him to stand up. "Author's got a surprise for you Preacher man" Scope said chortling as he wrapped and arm under Ben's and hauled him up. The pair dragged the dazed and winded man towards the door.

X

"What the hell do you think they're doing to the poor bastard?" Katy asked as they sat around nervously, after yet another person had been taken from their group.

"No idea" Isaac replied, from his position by the door. He knew that the survivors of Serenity had just lost another strong leader from their group. Although there was something in his head that told Ben wouldn't be coming back. Isaac had been here pretty much from the start of when the military had started testing on people and he had never been dragged of to be tested on. Part of him wished he could just be taken the waiting is what killed him inside.

X

The next thing Ben realised he was strapped to a metal board that was leaning forward. He couldn't move his arms or legs or anything. The only thing that was strapped down was his head and neck. He tried to look around but a light shining right at him blurred his vision.

He tried desperately to tell if any one else was in this room but he couldn't make anyone out.

"Are you comfortable?" A voice then asked.

"Very" Ben grunted back, his mouth was still bleeding so it was slightly gurgled.

A figure stepped into the light and was silhouetted by it. So Ben couldn't see him properly.

"This is going to be very simple, providing you make it simple" The man said, Ben was sure he recognised the voice but wasn't enteirely sure where from.

Ben didn't reply his simply frowned at the figure.

"Where are the other survivors hiding?" the figure asked bluntly.

Ben frowned heavier at the man.

"You tell me" he replied.

"There must be other survivors if you escaped with your friend." The figure replied his voice getting angry.

"Look I don't know if there are any others, or where they'd be, if there are even any still alive." Ben said.

"Shall I tell you what I think?" The man replied.

"I don't care if I'm completely honest." Ben replied getting some strength back.

"I think you're lying." He continued not phased by Ben's comment.

"I'm actually not" Ben said in a nonchalant voice.

"We'll see about that" The figure replied a hint of sadism in his voice.

X

There was a blood-curdling scream from the corridor that made almost everyone in the cavern jump.

Isaac looked around in horror and Katy covered her ears.

There was no doubt it was Ben who had suddenly screamed, after all he had not long been taken out.

X

Ben sagged against the bonds that were keeping him in place. He'd just been electrocuted by the figure, he hadn't noticed the small prong like object in his hand. Until it had been jabbed into his chest.

He breathed rapidly from the sudden burst of pain.

"That's only going to get worse if you don't tell me what I want to here" The figure said.

"I don-" Ben panted.

"Don't even dare finishing that sentence with don't know, because that will only make me very angry and that will cause more pain for you" The man replied.

There was a silence and all that could be heard was the sound of a buzzing from the electric rod that Ben had just been shocked with.

"I really don't know" Ben whimpered.

Then the pain seared through his body and it seemed it was in his very bones as well. His whole body screamed at the pain. Ben screamed like he'd never screamed before he was in so much pain. He'd never experienced a pain like it.

Then it suddenly stopped and he slumped back against the board again. He spat up more blood from the wound on his mouth as he panted from the sudden release of pain.

"Do you want me to ask you again?" the man asked.

Ben screwed up his face from despair, he had no idea what to say. The man wasn't going to believe him whatever he said, He was stuck in a room with a sadistic madman and he had no way of escaping.

X

They heard the second scream and if anything it was worse.

Isaac looked at Katy and she back at him. They both just wanted it to stop.

However the day was only just getting started the screams were going to continue throughout as well.


	11. A New Ally

Chapter 11: A New Ally 

Warren and Axel now stood at the edge of the forest completely out of sight. Warren was completely confused he had no idea whether to trust the smiling man in front of him.

"So you're telling me you're going to help us?" Warren asked

Axel smiled and nodded; "It'd be my pleasure, had enough of those bastards." He said

"How am I supposed to believe you?" Warren asked he hadn't put his gun back in its holster but it was left in his hand, which was now by his side.

"Well I was going to make leave soon any way, but if you guys want my help striking back at these guys then be my guest, I was just offering to help, providing you don't destroy the walls and you leave the civilians alone they haven't done anything." Axel explained.

"Were you now?" Warren questioned.

"Look follow me, I'll prove it I had a bike and a map and stuff hidden in a cave out here." He said walking off into the forest. At a diagonal direction to Warren and his friend's camp.

Warren followed but he still did not put his gun away.

X

Ben cried his hope lost.

"Don't please" he spluttered through the blood from his mouth. He'd been punched, electrocuted and cut now. The fingernails on his right hand had been ripped out of their sockets.

The man now leaned in close to his face and Ben could feel the joy seeping off him.

"Are you going to tell me where they are?" he asked.

Ben was sagging against the bonds that held him in place as he wept. The pain was so immense he didn't know what to do. He'd already tried feigning knowledge and telling him there were more survivors on the beach where they'd found him. However the man had said that he didn't believe him that they would have found the survivors if there were any there.

"I've told you I really don't know" Ben pleaded.

He felt the pliers clamp round his left thumb around the fingernail.

"I've told you not to lie" The man laughed.

The screams that followed hurt Ben's throat as the nail was pulled from it's natural place on the human body.

X

"See?" Axel said stepping into the cave that he'd covered with tree branches.

He revealed the cave. Inside there was a motorbike and plenty of supplies there. There were boxes of food and cans of petrol for the bike. There were also maps of the cities of Britain there was even a map with a route to Serenity. That Warren noticed and picked up glancing up and Axel's expression. The man looked shocked.

"You were coming to join us?" Warren asked.

Axel merely nodded adding a slight smile.

That did it for Warren he believe the man.

"Right let's take you to meet the rest of the gang then we have a plan." Warren said throwing the map down. "Might as well bring some of this stuff with us as well."

Axel beamed.

X

Ben cried as the last fingernail was ripped from his hand.

"Weren't you ever told not to lie?" The man laughed as he threw the pliers down.

Ben howled from the pain he had no idea what the hell to say. The pain was so intense he wanted to actually die. He had never felt such pain. He actually wanted the man to pull a gun out and finish him off.

"YES! I'M NOT LYING, IT'S AGAINST MY RELGIOUS CODE YOU FUCK!" Ben screamed that turned out to be more of a whimper then a full-blown scream like he intended.

"A Christian then?" The man mused.

"yes" Ben sighed.

"Interesting I thought the tattoos were for show, as was the necklace" the man said so close he was almost whispering compassionately in his ear.

"No! I don't lie!" Ben said in a voice that was almost normal.

"Tell me," the man said leaning back. "Would you do the same act as Christ to save your friends?" He seemed to stifle a chuckle afterwards.

"Without hesitation." Ben said after panting a few times to get his strength back.

The man laughed and then left the room.

Then suddenly two men entered and started to untie him.

X

"This is it" Warren said seeing the cave from a distance. He could see a fire just about from behind the branches covering the hole.

"Homely?" Axel asked sarcastically

"Not bad" Warren grinned.

X

The door was opened and Ben was cast into the room like a bit of old garbage.

He landed next to Isaac's feet in a crumpled heap.

Scope and Tic laughed and slammed the door chuckling.

"BEN!" Isaac and Katy exclaimed at the same time as the rushed to the crumpled up trembling figure of the man.

They rolled him over to see him holding his hands away from his body as the blood poured out of his hands.

"Jesus Christ!" Katy gasped as she saw the cuts and the burns across his torso and his fingernails ripped clean out of the sockets.

"Fucking hell Ben what did they do to you?" Isaac said picking the man up and letting him rest his head on his knees.

"Get some bandages or something" Katy said taking Isaac's place.

Ben's head rested on her knees and she carefully brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"They tortured me" Ben said stuttering. "They electro…cuted me"

"What did they want?" she asked as Isaac rushed round after rags to use as makeshift bandages.

"They wanted to know if there…there…there…were others still….still…alive…" He stammered.

"Did you tell them?" she asked

Ben chuckled slightly. "No" then he passed out.


	12. Prisoner's Tears

Chapter 12: Prisoner's Tears 

Ben could first hear several people muttering. He couldn't help but try and eavesdrop even in his condition thinking that it would be better for him.

"What are we going to do?" Kate's voice asked

Ben could tell it was here, he'd only been around her a short while but her voice was extremely distinct.

"There's nothing we can do, we get out of here then we've got several armed guards to get past and even more locked doors. Then there are the soldiers strutting around above us." Isaac explained clearly.

"We stay here any longer and we'll all end up like preacher." Kate replied.

"How's he doing" Isaac's tone of voice changed, to one of someone truly depressed.

"He's living that's about all we can say for now." She replied.

Ben could feel the cough building up in his chest. It was like someone had a piece of string in his stomach and they were slowly pulling it up through his throat. He sat up bolt up right so quickly he gave himself a head rush and cough. The cough hurt his whole chest and it felt like he could barely move it to breath. Then the pain from the end of his finger returned. He looked down and the bandaged hands and let out a whimper of pain.

"Ben, you're awake" Isaac said bending down next to his old friend.

"Just…" he gasped lying back down on the stone floor of the cave.

"How are you feeling?" Kate asked checking his temperature.

"I'm hurt not…" he coughed "ill"

"I know I'm just worried about infection. It's not exactly sanitary in here." She explained

"How are you feeling Preacher?" he asked him

"Like…like…I've been beaten up…underwater." He chuckled slightly and then let out another pained and harassed cough.

"Rest Ben, you need it." Kate said.

Ben nodded slightly and then he closed his eyes again.

His rest was short lived before long Fox and Scope threw open the prison door and stormed in. Everyone in the prison let out a scream and they backed away as much as possible.

Fox seemed to judge each of the prisoners individually, Scope merely sniggered and looked at a few of the women lustfully.

"That one" Fox said pointing at a small boy.

Preacher tried to move as much as possible. He saw them point a Guy, the small brown haired boy looked terrified.

"…N…" he tried to speak but it turned into a serious of painful coughs.

Scope lurched forward and grabbed the kid by the hair pulling out a pistol of his belt as he did so.

People screamed even louder and some women wailed.

"This is a lesson to all of you just to make sure none of you are getting rebellious attitudes." Fox shouted over the screams.

"A big warning" Scope added sniggering.

"He's just a kid!" Isaac shouted at him.

Scope moved like lightening lunging forward and smashing the side of his pistol into Isaac's face. The man fell onto his back, his lip split and he was dazed.

"WE ARE AWARE OF THAT!" Fox screamed. "THAT'S WHY WE CHOSE HIM…SCOPE!"

Fox grinned and pulled the trigger.

Guy's lifeless body fell to the ground.

Scope and Fox left the room chuckling in the deafly silent room. The only thing that could be heard was Isaac's struggle to get up and Ben's crying.


End file.
